Customer storyHow JCW Group reduced the burden of risk assessments with HANDS HQ

“If we don’t invest in something now, it’s going to cost us more in the long run”

When John C Wilkins founded JCW Group 25 years ago, it was the first screeding-only business in the UK. The company has thrived since then. It is still a leading name in the industry, and JCW has been involved in some of the highest-profile sites in the country. If you have been to a shopping mall in the UK, you will have walked on a floor that JCW had its hands on.

In early 2018, the company approached HANDS HQ to help bring its risk assessment process up to date. JCW had a system in place, but it was archaic. The team struggled to complete risk assessments in an efficient manner.

Key results

More streamlined, efficient process

Fewer rejected documents

Less pressure from leadership around the risk assessment process

Spending hours to make a simple changes

The company had different systems that operated different parts of the process which led to a lot of duplication of effort and apathy towards the process. Only a single computer using an old and dated formatting system could be used to create them. Any changes needed meant redoing the whole document, uploading into the system and on the backup CD-ROM. It would take hours to simply to make a small change.

The process was further complicated by only one person being able to create them, so when he was away it was hard for anyone else in the team to get the work done.

When Joe Dolwin became Health & Safety Officer for the Group, he knew it was time for the company to move with the time. “I was very clear with the directors of the business. If we don’t invest in something now, there’s going to be problems. It’s going to cost us more in the long run”.

Joe knew there was a solution but was keen to find a very easy to use platform. He did not want an EHS platform or a system that brought HR into the equation. He wanted a solution that was purposely built for assessments that addressed his need.

“If we don’t invest in something now, it’s going to cost us more in the long run”

Solution requirements

Have the ability to create risk assessments easily, on one system

Needed to include method statements

Suitable for repetitive work where often only slight edits are needed to risk assessments

“HANDS HQ was exactly what I was looking for”

Joe’s search brought him to HANDS HQ. “I looked at quite a few different systems at the time. They all seemed similar, but I was quite impressed with HANDS HQ; it was exactly what I was looking for. I took it to the directors, and they agreed it was the best solution for our needs”.

JCW immediately saw the benefits of the platform. Instead of Joe creating risk assessments on his own, there's quite a few people in the team working in the system.

They experience fewer rejections to the risk assessments they submit to clients, and it’s simple to rectify per the client’s need. Instead of taking hours, amending risk assessments takes minutes.

“HANDS HQ also means I am under less pressure from directors, clients and contractors because of the ease to complete the risk assessments and method statements to the specific site requirements. We have a system that works now, it’s really reduced the burden”.